Exclaim!'s 2014 in Lists:5 Reasons Owen Pallett Had a Phenomenal Year

Whether it's his own solo work, his surrogate family in Arcade Fire, or odd jobs scoring for Taylor Swift, R.E.M., Linkin Park or the New York Times, Owen Pallett is a workaholic who enriches everything he touches. However, 2014 was such an extraordinary year for the Milton, ON-bred musician that releasing his best album to date (featuring a guy named Brian Eno) and touring the world over with Arcade Fire weren't even the clear highlights.

Don't forget to head over to our 2014 in Lists section to see more of our Year-End coverage.

5. Explaining the Genius of Pop

If writing music wasn't enough, Pallett took on a music writing assignment from Slate, in which he explained the genius of hit singles by Katy Perry, Daft Punk and Lady Gaga. Not to be outdone, he used his theory-based approach to explain why Mariah Carey is so catchy to Guardian readers.

4. Commenting on Jian Ghomeshi

While many of Jian Ghomeshi's friends and fans were quick to support him amidst allegations of sexual assault, Pallett was one of the ex-CBC host's friends to speak out against him. In a Facebook post, he stressed the only point that mattered: "Jian Ghomeshi beats women."

3. Polaris Music Prize Ubiquity

In Conflict was his third consecutive time on the Polaris short list for his solo work; Reflektor was also his third consecutive time on the short list as an arranger and touring member of Arcade Fire. Of course, he won with both in 2006 and 2011, so it's all just gravy for him.

2. Tireless Collaborator

He arranged strings for records by Jennifer Castle, Caribou and Sarah Neufeld. But Pallett's greatest contribution outside of his own work was playing violin on most of Ontario Gothic, the awe-inspiring album by Foxes In Fiction, of which he's also a touring member.

1. Oscar Nominee

A Best Original Score nomination at the Academy Awards for his work on Spike Jonze's Her (shared with Arcade Fire's Will Butler) was a next-level moment. If there was one way to measure just how far Pallett has come, it was seeing him walk the red carpet in black tie.